“The footsteps of the success”

Copertina del libro in inglese

A year after “At the feet of success”, Massimo Donda has resumed writing about shoes. Here he presents another 15 case histories of Italian companies, leaders in various sectors of the footwear industry. These stores recount the rise, the development and the success of Italian entrepreneurs who, in just a few decades, have climbed to the top of their respective sectors worldwide thanks to a culture of hard work, ingenuity, creativity and membership in a winning, integrated system: the industrial district. Indeed, this is the only system in Europe that can still follow all the production processes involved in building a shoe, from design to accessories to materials. These are stories of companies, both small and large, that have innovated, invested and gained worldwide recognition but which are often unsung heroes at home. Despite ruthless international competition and such high labor costs that a structural crisis has ensued for the entire sector, these companies have maintained a position of leadership through innovation, quality and brand policy.
Massimo Donda descends from D.C.O. “shoe-makers”. The family company, “Calzaturificio Donda”, was founded in Trieste over a century ago, in 1887, when the city was not even part of Italy but still under the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Emperor Franz Joseph!
It was his great-grandfather Giuseppe Donda who inaugurated the family tradition nearly 120 years ago, which was then carried forward by his grandfather Romeo, his father Fabio.
Massimo Donda is currently Italian President of Federcalzature, the Italian National Association of Footwear Dealers, past president of CEDDEC European Shoe Trade Confederation and member of the National Council of Confcommercio, the Italian Association of Retailers.
With Andrea Guolo, the journalist specialized in the sector who edited “At the feet of success”, the pair have gathered the stories of 15 Italian companies. Five high-end companies: Bruno Magli, Pakerson, Baldinini, Campanile, Artioli. One specialized in comfort: Stonefly. One in “comfort fashion”: Valleverde. Two in sports: Lotto, Tecnica. Three large-scale producers: Filanto, Canguro, Fly Flot. One trendy: Linea Marche. Two specialized in children’s shoes: Melania, Kickers.
“The Footsteps of Success” deals with the footwear sector as seen from the viewpoint of the Consumer and the retailer.
Starting with the statistics gathered and an analysis of the case histories, the book is designed to indicate the overall trends that have brought about, and can still result in, corporate success.
The goal of this work is to give the reader a sense of the passion those working in the field have for their creations and for their entrepreneurial choices that have led to “great strides of success”!
The author has sought to enrich this book with a wealth of tidbits and contents that will be interesting for the professional reader: shop owners, directors, sales staff, representatives,managers, shoe factory owners, designers, giving them greater insight into the field where they work. At the same time, it is to be a “tranche de vie”, a cross-section of the sector, providing interesting reading for students approaching the fashion sector, for “fashion victims” and for informed consumers, for everyone.